Kyrgyzstan's President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has sacked his interior minister in a bid to end mounting protests, reports say. Interior Minister Osmonali Guronov was replaced by Omurbek Suvanaliyev. The news came as thousands of people continued to protest outside government buildings in the capital Bishkek. They are calling for President Bakiyev himself to resign, saying he has failed to introduce democratic reforms he promised upon his election in 2005. Thousands of demonstrators gathered next to the iron gate of the presidential palace chanting "Down with Bakiyev", according to the BBC's Natalia Antelava, in Bishkek. Riot police had first encircled the building but then let the demonstrators come closer, she added. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk

China's Africa summit has ended in Beijing, with the Chinese government pledging to double both aid and trade with African nations. China expects annual trade with Africa to total $100bn (£53bn) by 2010 after the event, attended by nearly 50 African heads of state and ministers. With China also promising $5bn in loans and credit for Africa, analysts said it showed Beijing's growing clout. Yet critics said China was too happy to support repressive African regimes. Others warned that Western nations were losing further ground to China in Africa, both in terms of accessing future raw materials and political influence. 'Significant' "[China] gave a party and everybody came, it's a big deal," said David Zweig, an analyst of Chinese foreign policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6120500.stm

But the verdict did not meet with universal jubilation. The EU welcomed it, but expressed reservations about the death penalty. Russia said the timing was suspect, coming so close to the US elections and even Iraqis opposed to Saddam said the ruling would not save the country. "What difference is his execution going to make to chaos in Iraq?" asked Aziz Majeed, a Kurd from Irbil. "I hate Saddam, but I can't blame him for the current situation - my country has become the most dangerous place on earth. Where is the freedom the Americans promised?" Lawyers and human rights organisations said that the process had been prone to political interference and reduced on more than one occasion to the farcical. In the Sunni community the verdict drew warnings that things would worsen. "This government will be responsible for the consequences, with the deaths of thousands or hundreds of thousands," said Salah al-Mutlaq, who heads the second largest Sunni bloc in parliament, ...http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1940453,00.html

The Army's National Guard & Reserve are bracing for possible new & accelerated call-ups, spurred by high demand for US troops in Iraq, that leaders caution could undermine the citizen-soldier force as it struggles to rebuild. Two Army National Guard combat brigades with about 7,000 troops have been identified recently in classified rotational plans for possible special deployment to Iraq, according to senior Army & Pentagon officials who asked that the specific units not be named. One brigade could be diverted to Iraq next year from another assignment, & the other could be sent there in 2008, a year ahead of schedule. Next year, the number of Army Guard soldiers providing security in Iraq will surge to more than 6,000 in about 50 companies, compared with 20 companies 2 years ago, Guard officials said. "We thought we'd see a downturn in operational tempo, but that hasn't happened." How many more must die, how many more maimed for life? And for what? Lies, everything were lies...http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/04/AR2006110401160.html

Tony Blair is in a blind panic over the looming threat of being arrested in the police inquiry into the cash-for-peerages scandal, Cabinet sources have revealed. A senior Minister said a 'black cloud' had descended over Downing Street at the growing realisation that the Prime Minister and his closest allies face the risk of being prosecuted over the affair. The change of mood came as it was claimed that police had obtained a No10 'killer e-mail' which allegedly implicates Mr Blair's close ally and chief fundraiser, Lord Levy. The e-mail, sent by Downing Street Chief of Staff Jonathan Powell, purportedly on the subject of honours, says: "ML (Michael Levy) will not be happy about this." The suggestion is that the e-mail is the first piece of evidence that Lord Levy may have had a say in honours. When questioned by police, Lord Levy said that while he raised millions of pounds from rich donors, he had no say in peerages. He says those decisions were taken by Mr Blair ...http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=414575

Seven retired federal judges from both political parties have joined dozens of Guantanamo Bay detainees in urging an appeals court to declare key parts of President Bush's new anti-terrorism law unconstitutional. The judges, in a rare court filing Wednesday, said stripping courts of the right to question how the military handles terrorism suspects "challenges the integrity of our judicial system" and effectively sanctions the use of torture. In their own court filings, lawyers for the detainees argued that the law is unconstitutional because it prevents people from challenging their detention in U.S. courts -- a right that attorneys said the framers of the Constitution never would have allowed to be stripped. That would be a good argument, if Americans cared about the rule of law or the Constitution. But as we have seen most have supported what is happening, so like Bush has said, the Constitution is just a God Dammed Piece of Paper, they must have agreed with him ...http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-detainees-lawsuits,0,1054841.story